Ice Fishing for Walleye
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Depending on if the lake is a deep lake or a shallow lake, the bite will
last longer. Last ice is another good time to go after the walleye
through the ice. Last ice can be very unpredictable, so be very careful
on last ice.
The feeding activity of the walleye will be about the same as it was
during the other months of fishing. Low light times are the best
times. Stable weather or a front coming in bringing overcast skies will
increase the feeding activity. The best way to judge if a lake will be a
good lake to fish for walleyes through the ice is to fish the lake in the
fall months. That should give you a good indication as to how the fish
will be biting through the ice.
You will want to look for structure that will be holding the walleyes.
These fish are structure orientated fish and will gravitate towards
structure. A good hand held GPS will help you mark these spots so
you can go back to them in the winter.
If a hole is not producing, it would be good to move to another and
keep this up until you find fish. Just because a certain spot produced
before, it doesn't mean it will produce again. First and last ice you
should concentrate on the shallower structure. In the middle of the ice
fishing season, switch to the deeper structure. Depending on the lake
you are on, there may not be enough oxygen in the depths for the
walleye. That leaves the fish two choices, move to a shallower spot in
the lake, or suspend out in the open water.
This is where the ice chisel will come in really handy. You get a big
walleye on, or just have one of the hooks on the lure you are using
hook into the bottom of the ice hole and have the fish tear free, and
you will become a believer in beveling out the bottom of the hole. Also
for the bigger fish I recommend using a gaff. A nice big walleye is a bit
too much to try to lift out of the hole by your line alone.
Good lures to use for walleye through the ice are the Rapala Jiggin Rap
and the Rapala Jigging Shad Rap. These come in a variety of sizes and
colors. Clown, GFR, S, G, and FT have all been really good colors in
the past. The glow tiger colors that are out on the shad raps are very
nice too. Another lure you really should have is some kind of jigging
spoon. I really like the Swedish Pimple, but there are several vary
good makes of jigging spoons out there. The Heddon Sonar works
well for the walleyes as well. Pretty much any jigging lure will do the
trick if it is offered correctly.
About the only live bait we have ever used in winter for walleyes have
been minnows, minnow parts, or minnow eyes. Night crawlers might
work, but we haven't tried them and leeches wouldn't do you much
good in water this cold.
last longer. Last ice is another good time to go after the walleye
through the ice. Last ice can be very unpredictable, so be very careful
on last ice.
The feeding activity of the walleye will be about the same as it was
during the other months of fishing. Low light times are the best
times. Stable weather or a front coming in bringing overcast skies will
increase the feeding activity. The best way to judge if a lake will be a
good lake to fish for walleyes through the ice is to fish the lake in the
fall months. That should give you a good indication as to how the fish
will be biting through the ice.
You will want to look for structure that will be holding the walleyes.
These fish are structure orientated fish and will gravitate towards
structure. A good hand held GPS will help you mark these spots so
you can go back to them in the winter.
If a hole is not producing, it would be good to move to another and
keep this up until you find fish. Just because a certain spot produced
before, it doesn't mean it will produce again. First and last ice you
should concentrate on the shallower structure. In the middle of the ice
fishing season, switch to the deeper structure. Depending on the lake
you are on, there may not be enough oxygen in the depths for the
walleye. That leaves the fish two choices, move to a shallower spot in
the lake, or suspend out in the open water.
This is where the ice chisel will come in really handy. You get a big
walleye on, or just have one of the hooks on the lure you are using
hook into the bottom of the ice hole and have the fish tear free, and
you will become a believer in beveling out the bottom of the hole. Also
for the bigger fish I recommend using a gaff. A nice big walleye is a bit
too much to try to lift out of the hole by your line alone.
Good lures to use for walleye through the ice are the Rapala Jiggin Rap
and the Rapala Jigging Shad Rap. These come in a variety of sizes and
colors. Clown, GFR, S, G, and FT have all been really good colors in
the past. The glow tiger colors that are out on the shad raps are very
nice too. Another lure you really should have is some kind of jigging
spoon. I really like the Swedish Pimple, but there are several vary
good makes of jigging spoons out there. The Heddon Sonar works
well for the walleyes as well. Pretty much any jigging lure will do the
trick if it is offered correctly.
About the only live bait we have ever used in winter for walleyes have
been minnows, minnow parts, or minnow eyes. Night crawlers might
work, but we haven't tried them and leeches wouldn't do you much
good in water this cold.
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